Brief history of Williams Creek diggings
The Cariboo gold camp has a storied history as a goldfield dating back to the late 1850s. It is estimated that placer gold in excess of 2 million ounces was captured in the area during the 19th Century. Total value of gold to date reported by 1877 for all claims on Williams Creek was $19,320,000. Hard rock explorations In the early 1860s when placer gold production peaked, the search began for lode gold deposits. The Black Jack (Lot 1.B), Home Stake (Lot 4.B), Cornish (Lot 1.F) and the Wintrip (Lot 32.F) were among the first claims to be staked in the area. During the period 1877–1892, prospecting and testing was done on the major veins: Bonanza (B.C.) Vein, Steadman Vein, Pinkerton Vein, Black Jack Vein (Westport), Proserpine Vein, Perkins Vein and Mount Burns Vein. In 1877–1892, Black Jack and Burns Co. sank a shaft (180 feet) on the Black Jack claim from which three levels were established with a few hundred feet of drifts and crosscuts. Assays greater than $70 per ton were reported. The larger Cariboo area was home to a number of producing gold mines during the 20th Century. ==References==